Artist Statement

Currently I am exploring the concept of buried thoughts of unease and tension that seem embedded within myself. These thoughts float to the surface with varying degrees of clarity but they always bring a foreboding sense of dread and doubt. I cannot stop or predict when one of these crippling thoughts will emerge and because of this I have an extreme need to fix and control. I need to control everything in my life, but yet I have this longing to release my control. Because of this my art is about self-reflection and the release of internal struggle and tension to a physical and visual form.

Much of my work is comprised of one material, nylon pantyhose. I have been fascinated how this material reacts to how I handle it for quite a while. Typically I stretch the material and test its physical boundaries. As you stretch the material it discolours and moves in peculiar ways creating shapes that are visually dynamic and unique. Each piece created will never be identical to another no matter how much planning is put into it. Some pieces tear early during the process of working with them and some stretch beyond expectation. The runs that are created when working with the nylon are a source of intrigue. As the nylon is stretched and manipulated past its physical boundaries it breaks and runs from the point of most stress. This run is a visible flaw in the material. This flaw seen from far away may seem very small, but the true extent of the damage can’t be seen until viewed up close. We can repair this damage created by stress but there will always be a mark left behind. I believe that this material is an excellent representation of the human body and soul because of these unique characteristics, and I love the rush I get when it rips.

I use labour intensive processes like stitching and sewing as I feel the subject matter and emotions I try to communicate appear to be embedded within the material, just as a memory or emotion is embedded in the body. The repetitive motions of these processes have become therapeutic. The physical time spent on the object opens up time mentally to work through tough and highly emotional subjects.

We are surrounded by textiles, whether we are conscious of it or not, and this constant contact creates an intense familiarity and intimate relationship with them. Working with such an intimate material alleviates the pain of discussing many emotionally intense memories and makes it easier to bring up these emotions, forcing them onto, and into, something else.